Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-10-10


opened so quickly as 20 make us start
and Mrs. Sawyer ran IN, her face a.
white as ashes.
"A messenger has just gone gall
Looping by," she gasped. MY hus-
band met him. lie SAYS the dam a.
the falls has been carried away, and
the mayor Of Harborbar is 90 look
out for his bridges"
"And the explosion" said Bryan,
joining rs. for we were all looking
out now, in the twilight, at the long
glass door opening on the river. above
which a purpling mist hung, "is the
Fallstown people trying 70 break up
the ice below them with dynamite.
l guess we are in for il.
Il don't know what we are going
to do" cried Mrs sawyer. ''Of
course the moment the ice breaks up
and goes sweeping down it will make
for the FIRST outlet, and that Is on
the very FIRST low shore along The
whole course of the river. 1t Is ter
rifying. If il were only daylight ]
wouldn't mind il SO much. We could
see our way. We could see what
was coming. We should know where
we were and what 10 do. But ia the
dark Nou had better come over 90
our house, Nan, and whatever we do
we will all do together. Mcrciful
powers what is that r.
1t was only the wind coming up
that sweet south wind. IL had brok-
en- a bough from the old elm that had
fallen on the house, and at the same
moment the last explosion Of the dyn-
amite sounded. But il was enough.
Mrs. Sawyer's words were ringing in
my ears. In the dark, all at once,
/ thought could see the torrents of
ice, the great blocks and sheets Of
pointed, jagged ice, lifting themselves
into one huge wall, and sweeping
around the bend and up the land.
pushed 10y the mighty swelling Of the
tide behind-mounting, grinding,
sweeping across all this low interval
over which it would crash and pour
and flow 10 find the river at point
below and reach the sea. The rush
of the great black cold waters was al-
ready upon me, the sound Of them in
my ears, the blowing Of the wide,
dark water breath. ] felt myself
helpless straw before them. ] did
not wait an instant. never thought
Of the others. ] was not conscious
of any thought at all but ] scream
ed and turned and dashed ont Of the
house and down the lane, as fast, as
as ! could race. through
the mire and slush, and up the mare
row road into the wood, feeling still
that chill water breath blowing on
me, hearing that terrible sound of the
rasping, piling. tumbling, roaring ice.
and never stopped till fell painting
and fainting at somebody's feet,
with the warm breath OF "a great stag
hound in my face, and saw, when ]
opened my eyes, by the light Of the
young yellow moon through the wood,
that il was Mark and he was kissing
me with kiss rs long as the space
that had separated us. 'Oh, Mark ,
Mark save me, ] cried, "save me
the freshet is coming it is close upon
us we are all drowning Take me
up to your house, TO your dear old
house, and don't let me ever leave it.
oh, Marx, loved you all the time
Take me home, but don't let me e.
again. Forgive me; love me.
don't see how you can love one 80
willful and vixenish and selfish and
but oh you must-you
must p
81 am taking you home," said he
as soon as he had the chance. "Do
you suppose / will let you 60 again
shall have TO forgive you. What
else is there for me 30 doy ] heard
about the freshet. was just ON my
way to you. We will have the min
ster up this very evening II we can
get him, and YOU shall never 90 80 /
much as out Of my arms again"
And be did And here ] am, per- /
'ectly happy IN this fortress, this pris-
,n a rock, this dungeon-so happy 1
hat ] have not yet been able r. bring .
ny shocked nerves 10 the pass ~
wen going down again 10 the grass
ands, where Mark goes down and
manages everything for me.
And the freshety Oh. % De sure 1
Why, you see, that south wind shift-
d TO easterly, and II froze again that
light. And when il melted, ID melt
d 50 gently that the ice went out of /
he river without anybody knowing +
b. And there never was any fresh
{.
A a squad of Confederate prison
r. was being marched from the
teamboat wharf b the old Capitol
rison toward the close of the war
ley gazed at a menagerie procession
lat they met with great interest. Fi-
ally the gigantic elephant .'llanui-
all came along, directed by Die
eeper, a young man mounted ou
orseback. "Hi f" exclaimed Que Of
be boys in gray; "1'hem uns makes
ie think Of Richmond last winter,
hen old Humphrey Marshall aud